For those who closely follow the media in recent months in Belgrade there has been a growing epidemic of violence towards LGBT people. We do not know the exact number of these cases of attacks and beatings in Belgrade and in Serbia. People may be embarrassed to report the crimes, they may feel ashamed, and they may be afraid of repercussions from the attackers. The reasons are myriad.

But what can a person who was attacked or suffered some form of violence because of their gender identity or sexuality do in order to protect and resumed a normal life? Lawyer Milena Vasic from the organization Yucom - Lawyers Committee for Human Rights from the Institute for Criminological and Sociological Research answered common questions and concerns people face after suffering assault.

Questions addressed included: Should I report the attack to the police? Will the police treat me fairly? How to I obtain a lawyer? What if my abuser is a family member? How should I respond if I am verbally attacked in public? Read More